Lucknow, July 29 (IANS): In a surprise response to an RTI filed by a Lucknow activist, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has denied having any information about the manpower of various central para-military forces it controls.

Activist Nutan Thakur had sought information about the total sanctioned strength, current strength and vacancies of officers and men in the different paramilitary forces under the ministry.

MHA Deputy Secretary (Personnel) R.B.S. Negi, through a letter dated July 18, replied that the ministry did not have the required information.

"I find this both surprising and shocking that the MHA does not even have this basic information about its paramilitary forces," Thakur told IANS.

Negi has transferred the RTI application to the six paramilitary forces -- Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Assam Rifles, directing them to provide the information.